By Monique Hepburn, Western Focus Coordinator 
Ernie Smith
WESTERN BUREAU:
MONTEGO BAY'S Club Inferno got a delightful taste of rich Jamaican music on Christmas night when a star-studded line-up, inclusive of nine of the nation's finest talents, delighted patrons with their blazing lyrics.
It was vintage music at its best as Ernie Smith, Gregory Issacs, King Yellowman, Stanley Beckford, Jackie Brown, General Trees, U-Roy, Big Youth and Montego Bay's own Hopeton Lewis, who were all backed by Fab Five Band, lifted the fans to ecstasy with their expert deliveries.
Kicking off at approximately 10:00 p.m. with local lads Lloydie Love and Emmanuel, the excitement stepped up a notch when perennial favourite Stanley Beckford made his mark with hits such as Saudering, Fi Mi Island a Boom and Kysilo and then all but exploded when General Trees took centrestage.
The 47-year old Trees was masterful with his witty lyrics as he delivered a bag of laughs in between captivating the fans with songs such as, Mi want mi woman Again, Eye No
See, Mini Van, Bashco and Gone a Negril, sending the crowd wild.
PERFORMER OF THE NIGHT
Jackie Brown, who was performing locally for the first time in over 20 years, was perhaps the performer of the night. Devoid of any stage 'rust', he drove the ladies wild, delighting them with perennial hits such as Miss Hard to Get, Jah Jah Children and Country Gal and These Arms of Mine.
Seasoned crooners Ernie Smith and Gregory Isaacs added their well-flavoured balance to the mix, feeding the audience with their silky smooth ballads. Smith was awesome with, I For Jesus, Pitta Patta and Duppy or Gunman while Isaacs was super cool with hits like Night Nurse, Top Ten, Overdue and Hard Drugs.
Going into the final acts, the ecstasy all but boiled over as U-Roy, who complained of
having the flu, was held hostage on stage by an overzealous fan, who demanded a little bit more. Big Youth and Hopeton Lewis subsequently raised the already high bar even higher. While Big Youth rolled back the clock with his'S90 Skank' and then mesmerized with Every Nigger Is a Star, Lewis briefly evoked memories of the great rock-steady era with Take it easy before giving a refreshing religious insight into new life in Christ.
Putting the icing on the cake was left to King Yellow and he never disappointed, delivering royally with classics such as Blueberry Hill, Mr. Chin and I'm Getting Married.
